Slashing Regulations to Combat Coronavirus
pa href=https://www.cato.org/people/chris-edwards hreflang=undChris Edwards/a/p
pThe coronavirus is battering the U.S economy as businesses cut back and close down. Unfortunately, federal policymakers a href=https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-white-house-stimulus-proposal-21c160fa-d72e-453a-bd1b-53f697d76e10.htmlare/a pursuing their usual misguided response to all crises—passing anbsp;big stimulus bill that will accomplish little except putting the government further into debt. After the financial crisis anbsp;decade ago, Congress passed an $800 billion stimulus and we suffered the slowest recovery since World War II./p
pGovernment spending to boost demand won’t help the economy when supply chain disruptions and safety fears are restricting production. Rather than stimulate demand, governments should repeal regulations that aren’t in place for legitimate safety reasons./p
pThese articles point to regulations that are being repealed, or should be repealed, to aid the crisis response. Many of the regulations are unneeded even if there were no crisis. a href=https://twitter.com/hashtag/NeverNeededCEI/a, a href=https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/A7F_CXDpxrTXpOzlh9aT-e?domain=atr.orgATR/a, a href=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/17/politics/federal-government-cutting-red-tape-coronavirus/index.htmlCNN/a, and a href=https://www.overlawyered.com/Walter Olson/a have compiled similar lists./p
ul
liFederal protocols that a href=https://www.wsj.com/articles/on-the-coronavirus-frontlines-in-washington-shortages-and-delayed-responses-11584137001undermine/a hospital flexibility in hard‐hit areas./li
lia href=https://www.wdam.com/2020/03/17/state-medical-licensure-board-recommends-telemedicine-during-coronavirus-outbreak/State restrictions/a on telemedicine. Federal restrictions on telemedicine for a href=https://apnews.com/58e118636f3e39c53370131561127a54Medicare/a./li
liRules on doctors and nurses a href=https://www.cato.org/blog/recognizing-out-state-licenses-emergency-afterwardpracticing across state lines/a./li
lia href=https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-virus-testing-system-is-failing-fauci-tells-congress-11584042312Failed/a restrictions on a href=https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-virus-testing-system-is-failing-fauci-tells-congress-11584042312spanvirus/span/aspan testing/span. The FDA has a href=https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-to-allow-private-companies-to-market-coronavirus-test-kits-without-prior-approval-11584407046?fbclid=IwAR0WwpJh5j94Sf6aBS-JYrf9tG2dT4Em7kjJgYzgZ8LaYXxjyxFzeREyFaofinally moved/a to allow companies to sell test kits directly to the public. Also, a href=https://www.cato.org/blog/detached-inflexible-regulatory-system-caused-flat-footed-response-coronavirus-outbreakhere/a./li
lia href=http://www.thetribunepapers.com/2020/03/15/north-carolina-temporarily-lifts-restrictions-on-hospital-beds/Certificate of need rules/a for hospitals to add beds and other equipment. Also, a href=https://www.cato.org/blog/certificate-need-laws-will-impede-preparedness-expected-surge-covid-19-caseshere/a./li
lia href=https://www.cpr.org/2020/03/13/coronavirus-cases-grow-dramatically-in-colorado/Expedited licensing/a of new and retired medical professionals./li
liState restrictions on a href=https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2020/03/17/some-michigan-hospital-requirements-changed-to-enhance-coronavirus-covid-19-response/operational flexibility/a at health facilities./li
liRestrictions on a href=https://www.newsweek.com/coronavirus-policy-new-york-alcohol-takeout-restaurants-bars-close-cuomo-1492562alcohol take‐out/a, and also rules on deliveries in a href=https://www.kxxv.com/your-hometown/texas/gov-abbott-waives-laws-to-allow-trucks-from-alcohol-industry-to-deliver-grocery-suppliesalcohol trucks/a./li
liRequirements for certain professionals to a href=https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2020/03/17/561296.htmwork in offices/a./li
lia href=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/us/politics/coronavirus-colleges.htmlRules/a restricting online higher education./li
liRules restricting online education if special education is not a href=https://twitter.com/MichaelPetrilli/status/1239917881405714433fully served/a./li
lia href=https://www.atr.org/dot-waives-hours-service-regulations-truck-drivers-providing-relief-coronavirus-outbreak?ampHours of service regulations/a for truck drivers./li
lia href=https://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures?field_disability_type_value=15TSA rules/a on hand sanitizers./li
/ul
pDuring Hurricane Katrina in 2005, bureaucracy and regulatory bottlenecks a href=https://www.downsizinggovernment.org/dhs/femaamplified the damage/a. Let’s hope that governments have learned the lesson and move quickly to repeal rules that stand in way of rapid and efficient private‐sector responses./p